"YEA, THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART"-TOM PETTY
The picture on the cover of Baseball World tells a great story. This photograph was taken by me moments after Dennis (Shorty) Short caught the ball for the final out in the 2012 Championship game. I love the raw emotion in celebrating the victory. Congratulations to Paul, Steve and the 2012 Beer Bros team for their win. Just a little side note, I actually video taped the final game and I may throw some of the game up, in the blog, sometime in the future...but for now, it is time to focus on the 2013 Hurtin' Units season.
Between the draft and the start of the season it seems like the days just drag on. We draft our team, we know who we are going to play with, but for some reason we seem to just wait and wait. The draft was on April 6th, today is April 21, it just seems like the draft was months ago. Yea, the waiting is the hardest part. But I guess it's all worth the wait if your team goes on to win the championship, right Shorty?
As we wait for the season to start, I'm sure there are some of you out there day dreaming of hitting the game winning homerun and your teammates swarming around you jumping up and down as you cross the homeplate line. In your fantasy world, they hoist you up on their shoulders and carry you around yelling Rudy, Rudy, Rudy... Then you suddenly snap back to reality when you realize your name isn't Rudy.
There are not a lot of hoist on to the shoulders moments in our league. This is not to say we don't have any, but we would probably pull a muscle or sprain something trying to lift the the guy up to our shoulders... And then the homerun guy would come crashing to the ground, hurting his arm so he couldn't hit the same for the rest of the season...it's just better to stick to the high fives and maybe a high ten for those really, really special moments.
I do remember a time last season when a player was hoisted (allegedly) on to the shoulders of his teammates for his part in a triumphant victory. It was in the HTKP tournament, when Piero (A.K.A Pieman, Mr. Bean, Bubble Boy) hit a grand slam homerun, in the final inning, of the final game, to win the Help The Kids Play Tournament. I unfortunately was not there to witness this monumental moment in T.O.T history, but as the story goes, as the Pieman crossed the line to score, his teams all congratulated him. Then the team all grabbed TITO P. and hoisted him on to their shoulders... apparently Tito told the Pieman to hit a homerun... LOL
I really don't mind the wait until the season starts, there are plenty o things to do before we get on the field. The world is not really as static as we inch toward opening night. There are preparations going on daily, both in the league and for the Hurtin' Units (i.e. smudging, practise, bat day, insurance waivers, etc.). There always somethin' goin' on.
On Saturday April 20th, the captains got together for bat day or should I say equipment day, now. It was frickin' cold on Saturday and when you hold on to a icy, cold beverage for a bit...you can get some shrinkage. Or as Tim S. would say... Shrankage. We gathered in a top secret location (the Bat Cave perhaps?) and some wheeling and dealing went down. There are no new bats this season, as of yet, but there was an exchange of some used bats. The new captains got the first pick of the bat litter , but the pickin's were really slim. We also received our annual issue of baseballs (going green again), team information package (paper work, rule book, etc.) and a first aid kit (we now got some bandages don't ya know). I inquired about team shirts...I'm told the supplier has his top (no pun intended) men on them and is hoping to have the shirts really for the first couple of weeks of the season.
The Hurtin' Units bats are in good condition. Mike and I take the time to maintain the bats as best we can...new grips when needed, waxy ball build up removed and of course I'm going to do a smudging of the bats before the season begins. If you're not sure what I'm talking about with the smudging, go to the blog posting from last season titled the Hurtin' Units Bats are Jinxed or click the following link and read up on smudging.
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HURTIN' UNITS BATS ARE JINXED. Click Here for page.
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Last week the 2013 schedule was posted. The Hurtin' Units opening night is on Wednesday May 8, 2013 at Keogh Park at 8:15. There will probably be a sell out home crowd on hand to greet our team as we take the field. There is nothing like opening night, the smell of Ben Gay in the air, the tink of the Aluminium making contact with the ball, the sound of baseballs hitting the house next door to Keogh Park. The season has officially begun! For the Hurtin' Units Schedule click here and for the complete team's schedule click here.
Our schedule this season looks more favorable than last year. Last season we played 10 games at Coventry park, one stretch was 6 weeks in a row at Coventry, with a few Keogh Park second games, in the week, peppered in for a change of venue. We also had a game rescheduled which gave us an extra 9:30 game. As a team we didn't get back to the Legion on those Coventry or 9:30 games, we would just spend our Coventry nights hangin' in the parking lot drinking Gatorade and Bottled water.."Hey guys, this Gatorade has a hops and malted barley flavour."
The baseball gods took all of this inconvenience into consideration when it came to deciding the winner of the keg party. Yes, even though we didn't get to the Legion as much as everyone else (I'm assuming here) we did manage to submit enough jug slips to win the keg. Although, now that I think about it, the nights we were at the Legion, the jugs came fast and furious... What can I say the boys liked their wobbly pop. This season's roster could also contend for the keg party...but with the most jugs consumed. It's a contending team with, Coxy, Mikey, Ricky Bobby, Ricky L., Woody, etc... The league should just give us the keg party now.
Last season's opening night was a bit of a disappointment for the Units. The rain earlier in the day, made the batter's boxes really muddy and no team could muster up very many hits. Last season's opener was a 5-5 tie against the Dogcatchers.
For the second time since the Hurtin' Units came into existence, we drafted El Presidente. In our first season Mike and I drafted Chris Ross to the Units. We had a good season and Chris assisted when we needed him, but he was really a hands off kind of guy and let us do what we wanted with regards to the team. If we had also drafted Chris this season we would have been a lock for the keg. I have a feeling that Jamie (current El Presidente) will be the same as Chris when it comes to running the Hurtin' Units day to day operations. Neither Mike or I have every had the pleasure of playing on a team with Jamie, it should be a fun season.
The Pieman and I stopped by Keogh Park today and the diamond looked really good, considering how much rain has fallen over the last couple of weeks...we have played on a lot worst during the regular season. Mike and I have been discussing a little practise for the Units, but wanted to see how the diamonds were looking, they are looking marvelous. I will check the weather forecast over the next week and if things look good, we could set up a practise for Saturday April 27.
And finally, I'll wrap up this blog posting with a tip of the cap to my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs for wrapping up a playoff berth. It's been a long time coming for the team in blue and white and it gives me great pride to finally see them back in the hunt. Throughout the Leafs playoff run, I'll throw in a update now and again. Go Leafs Go!
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| The waiting is the hardest part. |
As we wait for the season to start, I'm sure there are some of you out there day dreaming of hitting the game winning homerun and your teammates swarming around you jumping up and down as you cross the homeplate line. In your fantasy world, they hoist you up on their shoulders and carry you around yelling Rudy, Rudy, Rudy... Then you suddenly snap back to reality when you realize your name isn't Rudy.
There are not a lot of hoist on to the shoulders moments in our league. This is not to say we don't have any, but we would probably pull a muscle or sprain something trying to lift the the guy up to our shoulders... And then the homerun guy would come crashing to the ground, hurting his arm so he couldn't hit the same for the rest of the season...it's just better to stick to the high fives and maybe a high ten for those really, really special moments.
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| Nothing can distract this focused batter. |
" Stick with me Pieman... I'll make you famous"
I really don't mind the wait until the season starts, there are plenty o things to do before we get on the field. The world is not really as static as we inch toward opening night. There are preparations going on daily, both in the league and for the Hurtin' Units (i.e. smudging, practise, bat day, insurance waivers, etc.). There always somethin' goin' on.
On Saturday April 20th, the captains got together for bat day or should I say equipment day, now. It was frickin' cold on Saturday and when you hold on to a icy, cold beverage for a bit...you can get some shrinkage. Or as Tim S. would say... Shrankage. We gathered in a top secret location (the Bat Cave perhaps?) and some wheeling and dealing went down. There are no new bats this season, as of yet, but there was an exchange of some used bats. The new captains got the first pick of the bat litter , but the pickin's were really slim. We also received our annual issue of baseballs (going green again), team information package (paper work, rule book, etc.) and a first aid kit (we now got some bandages don't ya know). I inquired about team shirts...I'm told the supplier has his top (no pun intended) men on them and is hoping to have the shirts really for the first couple of weeks of the season. The Hurtin' Units bats are in good condition. Mike and I take the time to maintain the bats as best we can...new grips when needed, waxy ball build up removed and of course I'm going to do a smudging of the bats before the season begins. If you're not sure what I'm talking about with the smudging, go to the blog posting from last season titled the Hurtin' Units Bats are Jinxed or click the following link and read up on smudging.
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| This season the Hurtin' Units bats will be clean... |
HURTIN' UNITS VS. THE BEER BROTHERS.
Game # 21- August 15, 2012
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Last week the 2013 schedule was posted. The Hurtin' Units opening night is on Wednesday May 8, 2013 at Keogh Park at 8:15. There will probably be a sell out home crowd on hand to greet our team as we take the field. There is nothing like opening night, the smell of Ben Gay in the air, the tink of the Aluminium making contact with the ball, the sound of baseballs hitting the house next door to Keogh Park. The season has officially begun! For the Hurtin' Units Schedule click here and for the complete team's schedule click here.
The baseball gods took all of this inconvenience into consideration when it came to deciding the winner of the keg party. Yes, even though we didn't get to the Legion as much as everyone else (I'm assuming here) we did manage to submit enough jug slips to win the keg. Although, now that I think about it, the nights we were at the Legion, the jugs came fast and furious... What can I say the boys liked their wobbly pop. This season's roster could also contend for the keg party...but with the most jugs consumed. It's a contending team with, Coxy, Mikey, Ricky Bobby, Ricky L., Woody, etc... The league should just give us the keg party now.
Last season's opening night was a bit of a disappointment for the Units. The rain earlier in the day, made the batter's boxes really muddy and no team could muster up very many hits. Last season's opener was a 5-5 tie against the Dogcatchers.
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| El Presidente |
The Pieman and I stopped by Keogh Park today and the diamond looked really good, considering how much rain has fallen over the last couple of weeks...we have played on a lot worst during the regular season. Mike and I have been discussing a little practise for the Units, but wanted to see how the diamonds were looking, they are looking marvelous. I will check the weather forecast over the next week and if things look good, we could set up a practise for Saturday April 27.
I also had an opportunity to throw a baseball today. Ouch! It was a little bit rough and painful at the start, but after about 10 minutes my shoulder and arm started to loosen up and felt pretty good. If I can do this kind of throwing over the next couple of weeks, my spring training will pay off at the start of the season...LOL I have loaded my practise gear (balls, bats, tee) in to my car and I'm ready to get things going.
And finally, I'll wrap up this blog posting with a tip of the cap to my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs for wrapping up a playoff berth. It's been a long time coming for the team in blue and white and it gives me great pride to finally see them back in the hunt. Throughout the Leafs playoff run, I'll throw in a update now and again. Go Leafs Go!
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